Safety and Courtesy when Working the Locks

How to Operate Locks Safely on British Waterways

Nov 4, 2009

Knowing how to works the locks on canals and rivers is essential. Here is a brief guide to what you need to know.

Great Britain is a hilly country in most of its regions, which means that users of its canals will not get far without encountering locks. Because lock-keepers are few and far between, the operation of locks is therefore a do-it-yourself procedure. There are several rules that must be observed to ensure safety, avoid water being wasted, and maintain good relations between canal users.

Priority When Using a Lock

When even a narrow lock is operated, 50,000 gallons of water go down the canal. It is therefore preferable for the water in the lock, whether rising or falling, to carry a boat with it.

In broad locks, it is best if the first boat to arrive waits for another to come along so that the lock is shared. In narrow locks, it is good practice to check whether another boat is coming the other way and, if the lock is full, for the boat going “downstream” to have priority before the lock is emptied to admit a boat going “upstream”. Likewise, if the lock is empty, a boat going upstream should have priority.

Helping Other Canal Users

There is nothing to be gained by being impatient with other canal users, as the boat in front cannot proceed any faster than the speed at which the water enters and leaves the lock. Clearly, less experienced boaters will be slower in carrying out the procedures than more experienced ones, but everyone was a beginner once.

Most boaters will offer to help with such things as raising and lowering paddles and opening gates, although it is every boater’s responsibility to make sure that everything is done correctly. It is important to ask before going ahead on someone else’s behalf, as some people have particular foibles about such things as the speed at which they want the water to be let into the lock, etc.

Safety Considerations when Operating Locks

Locks are intrinsically dangerous places. The water in a full lock is as deep as the canal plus the difference between the upper and lower stretches. It has sheer brick sides and no handrail to prevent anyone falling in. Added to that, a narrowboat weighs around 18 tonnes, so an arm caught between a boat and a lock wall is unlikely to stay in one piece!

The boat “captain” must ensure that the boat is floating freely as the water rises or sinks. In particular, it is vital not to let the back of the boat get caught on the stone cill at the foot of the upper gate as the lock empties. Should this happen, the boat can easily be swamped. The only way to rectify this situation is to close the paddles and refill the lock.

Locks often have attractive grassy areas alongside them, but these are not playgrounds for children. When parents are busy with gates and paddles, it is easy for them to lose sight of what their children are doing, and this is how accidents can happen.

The action of winding up the paddles must be done with concentration and care, the dangers being that the paddle could go crashing down or the windlass could fly off and hit somebody.

The windlass must be firmly placed on the spindle (using the correct square hole on the windlass) and wound with both hands. In particular:

When opening a gate, make sure that nobody is on the wrong side of the beam. If they are, they risk being pushed into the lock.

Take great care when crossing the lock via the lock gate walkways. These are narrow and can be slippery when wet. Keep hold of the handrail at all times. If walking round the lock seems preferable to stepping across a gap, do so.

The copyright of the article Safety and Courtesy when Working the Locks in Boat Safety & Maintenance is owned by John Welford. Permission to republish Safety and Courtesy when Working the Locks in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.